


My New Life as an Online Bootlegger

by Kabii



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Annie does her best to overcome her social anxiety, Eventual Death Mention, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendly Business Affairs, Violence, relationship building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-04 00:45:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11543910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kabii/pseuds/Kabii
Summary: Annie moved closer to Inkopolis square for two reasons really, to be close to her friends again and to finally kick-start her new business. What was that business? She set out to make the hottest trends even hotter by recreating every stitch with a special twist that could make an inklings ensemble significantly more fresh. The problem? It was borderline Illegal. One simple mess-up in her work could spell trouble-- Not that it concerned her or anything. Detail orientation was her alleged specialty, and she was more worried about the unfinished projects that burdened her over the years. From helping Sheldon finishing up a new weapon to publishing her very first novel after years of selling short stories. And even though they weren't their top priority, they were certainly up there.But the most worrisome thing wasn't the three projects she now juggled between, It was how she was going to get sponsors for her biggest project, the new online shop she planned to open; her business. Who was going to help spread the word about something this shady!? She thought the answer would take F O R E V E R to find but, to her surprise, it didn't.She just didn't expect to find it in the midst of a mugging.





	1. Chapter 1

Moving along with the trends is no easy feat, and Annie knew that straight off the bat. Ever since the plans of building a new online hub crossed her mind, she needed space to think, and space to put that idea into action. After finding a decent flat to live in she packed everything up and headed closer to what was the new freshness hub of the city. And quite frankly, moving there was the easy part.

Sure, carrying her stuff up to her new apartment was a pain, knowing that it was pretty high up the large tower of a complex, but the real hard part was adjusting to her new surroundings.

It seemed so… rustic there. All of the brick buildings and exposed framework of incomplete buildings really let off a rustic vibe. And that wasn't something she really used to. The grungy, grimy square absolutely stuck out in the polished city, almost like a sore thumb would. And it remotely wasn't comforting at all. But what was less comforting was her friends leaving for this new 'fresh hub’ as she struggled to adjust to the previous one.

_ What friends. _

All and all, they were great individuals, bursting with the personality that she always wished she had. But sometimes they put their ambitions in front of the people who they cared about. Which concerned her greatly, being the antisocial gal she was. Her friends meant everything to her, since they were the only ones she’ll ever make. And she quickly noticed herself crumble as they left one by one to pursue these said ambitions. Even that guy in the alley way right across her old workplace just happened to vanish one day!

Thoughts like those made her sigh, and the memories of the plaza would rush back just like that as she hauled all the odds and ends she owned up to where she now lived. And as for Annie herself, she hasn't changed a bit over the years. Well… other than her confidence dwindling after her friends left.

The past two years took a toll on her soul.

Taking another sigh as she reached the opened door of her apartment, she fondled with the medium sized box in her arms. The sound of the things rattling in there seemed to soothe her a bit as she walked into the larger-than-anticipated living area. She ignored the plastic wrapped furniture the movers still worked with and bounded straight to what would be her new room, the fish that was in her hair still surprisingly slept after all of the commotion going on.

She threw the door open and plopped the box down on her bed, which also surprisingly, didn't have twenty or so layers of padding and plastic on it. Then again, none of the furniture there was. It was the only other room in the area that wasn't binded with padding from moving. So she could at least rest up after a long day of moving stuff up to her new home.

At least they were considerate.

But she didn't have the time to rest, she had work to do at that moment. She knew that, and she hated it. She scoffed at that thought as she opened the box in front of her, shifting through its contents until she yanked out a small laptop, along with its charger. As she did so, her hand brushed up on an umbrella like form, reminding her of an unfinished project that she started with a friend of hers.  _ 'Maybe he won't be too busy this afternoon.’ _

Maybe she could spare a couple minutes of her time  _ just  _ to talk to him.

She pulled the umbrella-like object out of the box for a moment and quickly examined it. It was a project that she and Sheldon worked on for months before he decided to branch out his wares. It was a weaponized umbrella that was supposed to join the turf war scene the same year they started the project before he moved to work on expanding his business.

The design still had many kinks in it, but the concept was stellar.

And it served as a more “proper” excuse to call her old friend.

Sheldon was like a brother to her than a co-worker. When they weren't focused on tinkering and decorating weapons, they were out and about talking about the world around them as they went to grab a bite to eat. The two of them would just stay up late as well, chatting away as working on weapons slowly ticked away at their sanity. He was also beyond supportive when he had her test out new weapons and specials, knowing that the damage it would cause her would be more than psychological.

Annie pulled her phone out of her sweater pocket, wasting almost no time at all when she dialed up Sheldon’s phone number. She sifted through the box as the dial tone rang in her ear, pulling out a small glass bowl fit for the fish that still slept on her head. She huffed as she slipped out of her room holding the bowl in her arms as she wedged her phone between her head and her shoulder, hunting for the bathroom that should be down the hall. She opened each door in the small corridor, they led to two closets and an unfurnished room. There was only one door left, presumably the bathroom door, but she stopped for a moment to examine the completely blank room.

As she saw in the photos, the previous people who lived here must of used this place as another bedroom. And judging by the sporadic white patches on the walls, they hung up quite a bit of decoration as well. While her eyes scanned the gaudy patches on the walls, another voice sounded from the device. The familiar voice throwing her out of the trance. 

“Annie?”

The dorky voice immediately recognized who was calling him, bringing a sense of relief to her tensed soul. “Hey Sheldon!” Annie smiled as she placed the glass bowl down on the floor. “Sorry I haven’t called in a while, I got caught up in some… things.”

“Ah no worries! I was caught up in some ‘things’ as well! Since the expansion, I barely had the time to do anything but work!”

Annie chuckled, standing up straight up more. That busybody of a crab always had his hands full, it was expected of him. If he even let up from what he was doing even for a mere millisecond he’s just thrown off from everything. Even though it was a highly irritating trait he had, Sheldon’s commitment to his job was rather admirable.  “Well, you’ve got some time now, right? I mean, you wouldn't even pick up the phone if you didn't.”

“Touche.” His voice chimed in a slightly defeated tone. “So how’s things been going for you? How's the whole writing schtick going on with you? Oh! And did you figure out what you needed to do in order to open that webshop of yours?”

Annie huffed. “The ‘shtick’ is actually going quite well, I’m nearly done with spell checking with the novel I finished; so I’ll start submitting the final draft of it to publishers fairly soon. And as for the site…” Annie wandered over to the window-paned wall, staring out at the view beneath her. “The coding was a bit difficult to figure out since you left the plaza, but I managed. I just need to get my hands on some stocks and a tiny bit more time and that bad boy will be open before you know it.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your hands. I should leave you to it then.”

“Yeah… but before I do…” Annie paused for a moment, letting out another small sigh. “I still have that prototype you gave me of that project we were working on last year.”

“The Splatbrella?”

“Yeah, I was just wondering what you wanted me to do with it.”

“I’ll see if I could make some time for you to come in tomorrow so we could test that fella out. Don't forget to bring it in okay?”

“Oh, sure! Thanks Sheldon.”

“No problem! Anything for a friend!”

“See you tomorrow?”

“You bet!”

After they exchanged their goodbyes, Annie tucked her cell phone back in her pocket, her face was absolutely beaming. It has almost been  _ too  _ long since she talked to one of her friends face to face, especially Sheldon. He was one of the very few people she remotely sounded normal near. Her usual awkward stammering within her dialect was virtually non existent when talking to him. Tomorrow was going to be great, and she already couldn't wait for it. She walked back over to where she placed the bowl, scooping it up in her arms; making her way to the final, unexplored room within her living quarters.

Swinging the small room’s door open, she ignored the aesthetics of the porcelain lavatory and rushed straight to the sink, filling the bowl up with cold tap water. As she did so, she could hear an all too familiar voice slur from the top of her head.

“Nnngh… What time is it?”

Annie rolled her eyes, letting out a single chuckle as she turned off the sink. “It’s about time you woke up, Moe.”

The source of the voice fluttered himself over her bangs, glaring down at her with his tired beady eyes. “Well, travelling is boring. Especially with you.”

Annie tisked as she hauled the water filled bowl back to her room, shaking her head at her companions rebuttal. “Well I’m sorry that I can't be entertaining for an hour's worth of travel.” She shot back, nudging her bedroom door open. She walked over to where her dresser was and placed the small bowl on top of it before allowing the fish who clung to her hair flop into the said bowl. “But if it makes you feel better, we’ll probably live here for a much longer time than we did in the plaza.”

Moe propped himself up on the glass rim of the bowl, letting out an obviously annoyed scoff as he watched his owner retrieve her laptop. “Hope so.” He leaned forward slightly. “I  _ hate _ moving.”

“You’re not the only one there, buddy.” Annie placed her laptop on the small desk that was set up in the corner of her new room, throwing herself into the cheap office chair she had to buy because her old one broke in shipping. “But if we want to get more money, moving to where the clients are is the only way to make it.” She sighed as she flipped her computer open. “And even  _ that _ would take a while to do. You know we could only afford the rest of the year here if we don't start working towards that now, right?”

“Well maybe  _ someone _ shouldn't of put a down payment on an apartment this big.”

Annie turned herself to face her fishy partner in crime, shooting him a rather unamused glare. “Says the fish who wants the impractically large fish tank.”

“Hey, Hey!” Moe slightly blushed in an irritated manner. “It’s called a 'deluxe aquarium’ and it’s a damn good investment!”

“Yeah, sure it is.” Annie turned back to her computer, seeing that everything was already loaded up. She focused on sorting out what was already on her screen. Plenty of open windows that she remotely forgot was open littered the screen, she proceeded around at each individual window that was opened, closing out the unimportant ones one by one.

Eventually, she wound up with two programs open, the internet browser and a writing program. After hooking her computer up to the wireless internet the building provided, she delved into what she had open on her browser. 

Since she last opened her computer, she had been searching for something rather peculiar to start her business off; clothing from the hottest recent trends that were defective. She had this idea to use those defective clothes as a sort of a reference. She wanted to recreate those styles with her own special touch, but was a tad bit nervous on doing so the more she thought of it. 

It was barely legal to do, remaking clothing like that was a pretty risky job to do, and she always wondered how the idea ever came to mind; but then she looked back to the times where the guy in the alley would do something very, very similar. In some sort of way, she was rather influenced by him. 

And for that reason, she told nobody about the project in detail. Not even Moe or Sheldon. She needed the money, especially after placing the down payment on the place she now lived in.

It didn't take her long to realize that the internet the building provided was immobilizing to her production. She scoffed as she pushed herself away from her desk, standing up when the wheels on her chair fully stopped. Quickly noticing that Moe already fell asleep once more, she left her room with a few necessities, closing the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

_ ‘Don’t worry about it Annie, dont worry...’ _

Constant thoughts of reassurance rushed through her head as she trudged along the sidewalk, keeping her head high to find the shop she was looking for.

_ ‘It’s just a short trip to the nearest store, and then straight back to the apartment building. Moe won't even notice my absence.’ _

Annie figured, since the nearest store to where she now lived was near a supercenter, that she wouldn’t drag her fishy friend out of another midday siesta to drag him along with her. Making that choice was a clear mistake, given that her chest gradually tightened the longer she remained in public by herself. Then again, she feels the same whenever Moe chews her out for waking him up from his “beauty sleep”, so it was really a lose-lose situation.

It was overwhelming to walk the city streets by herself. For one thing, given her height, everything just seemed significantly taller than everyone else around her perceived it to be. Every building; every powerline; every vehicle; every person… Everything, just everything was larger than her. It was not a welcoming perspective in her opinion, and it never was in the first place. Yet the large looming city was all she really knew. She was born and raised in the very city that intimidated her and has always had this love-hate relationship with it.

Another thing was it being loud. Atrociously loud.

She could put on her headset and try to drown out the world around her, but that would be to no avail despite them being noise canceling. They were rather old and the speakers were on the brink of not working entirely. The sound they gave off was not only faint at the highest setting, but dull and non immersive, making a bit hard for her to work in public areas-- Or remotely function when stressed out. And it would be nice to listen to at least  _ something  _ other than the annoying chatter of the commoners and the irritable sounds of traffic jams.

Great,  _ another _ thing to buy. 

Thank god she grabbed her card instead of paper cash.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, two city blocks were finally behind her and the store in question started to show through the gaps between the buildings.  _ ‘Only a few more junctions’  _ She thought to herself, picking up her pace as she knew that half of this gruesome trip was almost over; by the time she approached the last intersection, she was almost at a running pace. She wanted to get there and get this whole thing done and out of the way already. The near-to thirty minute walk by her lonesome was killing her already, knowing that the trip back would be about the same length in time. She dreaded it.

Thoughts on an alternate route home came by one by one as she now passed through the parking lot, keeping close to the outer edge of one of the lanes so that cars wouldn't have to drastically swerve around her. On the way there, she saw alleyways that conveniently connected the large city blocks together. Ones that she would otherwise walk through if she knew they existed beforehand. They seemed calm, still, and most importantly, quiet.

Perfect, now she had a route home, now it was time for the hardest part of her trip. 

As she stepped through the automatic doors, her mind went straight to “priority mode”. Instantly heading to where the electronics usually were, the back of the shop. She didn't like this store one bit. It was just as intimidating as the world outside, but the acoustics just made it a wee bit worse for her. She hated it.

Sighing as she yanked a shopping basket off of a small stack of more shopping baskets, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone to check the time; being careful as she weaved her way through the clothing sections to avoid contact with anyone she didn't even recognize. Her head was the only thing keeping her in check as she scuttled closer and closer to the back of the store.

Eventually, the large LCD television sets from the back of the technology section came into full view, allowing a large wave of relief rush through her body. She rushed through every aisle of that section she could before she found the prime item she was looking for; the wireless router she desperately needed to forge her business from the ground up… and to send publishers the final draft of her novel.

Oh yeah… that.

She needed to make a cover for that, didn't she?

Being the self-proclaimed graphics artist (and artist in general) she was, it wouldn't be much of a problem in theory. But it actually was.Millions upon millions of creatures from all around the world will see this in their local bookstore, and she wanted the cover to stand out above all the other book covers she’s seen; and everything she’s seen was incredibly unique. There was almost no way she could stand out amongst them all. But that didn't stop her from putting at least some effort towards making that happen.

After a moment of thought, staring at the variety of routers on the shelves, she yanked one off without a moment to think of what type of router she grabbed; deciding on using an old sketch of hers as a placeholder cover, at the least. She rushed over to the neighboring aisle, quickly taking in the overwhelming presence of the variety of music amplifying wares filling the shelves and displays to the brim.

Scanning the aisle precariously, she eventually landed on headphones that made her heart flutter at the sight of it. Sure it was expensive, but the sound was proclaimed to be incredible and the soundproofing was guaranteed to set someone in complete immersion. Just what she needed. She quickly grabbed the box with the jet black display and carried on with her time within the shop, grabbing actual necessities like dish soap and food; eventually filling the basket to the brim with cheap food items and soaps.

…

As soon as she stepped outside of that store she took a seat by on curb and immediately swapped out her headphones. She had a feeling that she couldn't last her trip back home without them, and by god, she was right. The sound they gave off was just so clear and crisp, and the sound proofing cushioning made the experience even more heavenly. No sounds came in, and no sounds went out. Absolutely blissful. It even made the alleyways more peaceful to walk through, and that fact brought a smile to her face.

Her illicit interest at the aesthetics of the alleyways always drew her to them, but the harsh words of her hair companion drew her away from them back at the plaza. It was all for her well being, she knew that, but her curiosity always ran rife whenever she was near one. She knew that Moe would chew her out for being in one of these slender walkways without his knowing, but that didn’t matter, really. It was as pretty as she thought it would be, all the overgrown ivy and occasional graffiti gave the outdoor corridor a unique sort of charm. And it was away from all of the commotion of the city streets, something she truly preferred.

She walked over to a faded brick wall with a mural splattered on it, staring at it before she pulled out her phone to take a picture of it, the plastic bags that dangled from her arm gently brushed against her hip. As she took the picture however, she noticed that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

As the music that blasted in her ears decrescendoed as the camera application opened, she could hear someone... yelling. There was in no way that it was the current song that was sounding off the shouting, she wasn’t remotely in to that type of genre regardless. Annie paused the current song, locking her phone up before she tucked it back into her pocket once more; swiftly pushing her headphones down around her neck, sucking her breath in as she stood there, waiting for that yell to sound off again.

There was nothing but silence.

Silence for a solid minute.

She sighed. was she actually hearing things? 

She gave up on trying to listen to that shout again after a few more seconds, but once her dainty hands reached her glossy new headphones, she heard it again.

_ “S-Stop! S-Spyke! Help!” _

The sheer fear of what seemed to be a child’s voice echoed through an even more narrow portion of the alleyway that branched off into a separate, more slimmer corridor, amplifying the sound as it came out through the main portion that Annie stood in. Part of her wanted to run out of that place and head home right there and then. But there was another part that told her to see if that kid was alright.

And that part of her was going to hate her if she didn’t check up on whoever’s desperate cries were going unheard.

“Ugh…”

She sighed, slowly scuttling her way towards the dark sliver that branched off of the light and peaceful alleyway she stood in, making sure that the plastic bags she held didn’t make too much noise as she now peered around the corner of the small crevice. She gulped as she witnessed the scene that was now before her.

What she theorized was rather correct, the source of the voice was a child, a very small one as well. He was curled up in a ball, his back towards the brick wall as he continued to cry for help as three inklings towered above him. “Listen, kid.” One of them piped up. “All we want is our damn money back for the trashy gear you sold us.”

“I-I told you…” The small child whimpered, in obvious fear of the teenagers looming over him. “All transactions a-are final, y-you jer-”

Before the child could finish stammering out his statement, one of the inklings sent a solid kick to his stomach. The blow knocking the breath out of his body as he nearly hurled whatever was in his stomach out at the boys in front of him. “We don't care if they're final.” The main inkling spoke up again. “We want our money back, even if we have to take it back by force.”

“N-no... s-stop.”

“Or what?” One of the other inklings stepped closer to him, kicking him once more. “Your 'hero’ will come by and save you? Tch, please. That lazy creep is no better than you are. Get over yourself kid. He ain’t coming to help. _ Nobody is. _ ”

Annie stood there in horror as the three inklings there took turns at kicking the child they apparently wanted money from. Her heart sunk as the child taking all of those hits continued to cry for help, praying that someone would come by to stand up for him; even if it wasn't the one he was calling for. And that heart sinking feeling turned into one of instinctive protectivity. A feeling she only felt when Moe was in immediate danger. It was a rather rare feeling-- and a rather violent one too, but seeing a display of helplessness such as that… It felt that there was no other choice but to step in and help the victim.

Even if that victim was a complete stranger.

She took a deep breath before she stepped away from the corner, forcing her way into the slender alleyway where the scene took place. At this rate, Moe would probably kill her for doing something as selfless as this, essentially by herself. And yeah, she still was terrified of being on her own. But someone  _ needed _ her, so to speak. And she  _ always  _ selflessly acted to protect that fish, so what makes him think that she can't help someone  _ else _ for a change.

“H-Hey!”


	3. Chapter 3

Annie dropped the bags she held as the three boys turned to face her, all laughing at her rather serious stance. Seeing them flail around in such a manner, mocking her presence only made her furrow her eyebrows in disgust. Even though she knew her reputation would probably earn a reaction as naive as that when stepping into a situation like this.

“H-Hey!” One of them called out out to her, desperately trying to catch his breath. “Aren’t you that cutie who works at that hat shop back at the plaza? Whaddya doin here?”

“Y-Yes…” She huffed, removing her sweater as she tried to maintain her chill for the time being. “And I-I quit working there.”

“Why’s that, sweetheart?” Another one of them chimed in. “The freshness scene ain’t as hot there as it used to be, thought you and that fishy of yours liked not being around people.”

“Where is he anyways?” The final one asked, making Annie roll her eyes.

“At home. H-he wouldn’t want me to be here, talking to y-you guys but...” She removed her headphones and glasses, carefully placing them on top of her hoodie as she balled up her fists and assumed a fighting stance. “I-I intend to do more than just ‘t-talk’ to you three.”

The three inklings stared at her for a moment before breaking down in another laughing fit. Making her a bit more irritated than she already was. She sighed as she approached the inkling in the middle of the bunch of them, presumably the one who lured the child here so they can steal their money back. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the wailing inkling by his slender wrist before hurling him over her head without a second thought considered. She shrugged her shoulders before turning back to the other two, who abruptly stopped their laughter at the sight they just saw; shooting them a glare as she folded her arms. “I-I told you, I i-intended to do more t-than just talk.”

The two male inklings stood there in shock as they took in the sight of their writhing ally. “Dude, what the hell!?” One of them shrieked, feeling quite intimidated by the small anemone before him. The other one scoffed, shrugging at the quivering mess of a friend as he collected himself from the shock. “Yo, you need to chill man. She just caught him off guard, surely she isn't that much of a fighter.”

“A-are you sure ma-”

Before the frantic inkling could finish his question, Annie walked over to him; delivering a seldom yet solid punch to his stomach without a word spoken. Letting out a sigh as she watched the boy fall to his knees. Deep down inside, she hated doing things like this. She really did. Inflicting harm upon others to protect those around her was a painful thing for her to do, but she knew why she had to do it. That child, that poor poor child.

She could almost feel the pain that he felt from getting pummeled into the broken pavement by those boys.

Those bastards.

Without another thought taken, she lunged herself at the last inkling, the image of that small boys helplessness replaying in her head as sheer impulse took her over. Just like what usually happens when Moe was in danger.

She swung one of her legs at the boy still standing, her steel-toed boots landing a solid blow one of his shins. Now standing back, she watched the boy clench his leg, grunting and moaning in pain. She shot them a harsh glare as she watched him struggle to stand once more.

“Leave.”

The inkling looked up at her.

“Take your friends, and leave. Now.”

The sudden lack of stammering in her voice as she stared down on him intimidated the inkling, the tone in her voice exceedingly dark and out of character. He waddled on his feet, his eyes wide in horror before he promptly gathered up his other two friends and rushed out of there as fast as he and the others could muster; leaving Annie alone with the small child, who still was on the pavement, struggling to move from the pain.

She sighed. Finally, she can calm down.

She returned to the small pile she left behind, collecting her things before she wandered over to the child who was huddled against the wall. By the looks of things, he seemed to barely be under ten years of age. His bright orange skin was dirtied up by the soot that was forced upon him when he received the beating. Not only that, bruising already began to show, and was most notable around the small cuts that were also inflicted upon his tender looking skin. The pain and fear from it all made his chest rise and lower in a sporadic fashion, but it somehow wasn't enough for medical attention.

She sat down next to the child, placing the plastic bags to the opposite side of where the child was; waiting a short while before attempting to talk to the kid.

“A-are you a-alright?”

Annie rested her head on her knees as she hugged her legs to her chest, retaining her usual timid posture as she hoped that the kid can muster up the strength to reply. Her eyes strayed over to the child, who still appeared to be motionless at a simple glance, and she sighed once more; moving herself closer to the kid to help him up into a sitting position. The whines and moans he made twisted her heart in a sort of way that almost made her cry as she cautiously pushed his small figure around, eventually setting him in an upright position; leaning him on her shoulder.

She frowned as she dusted his shirt off. Whoever this kid was, he was certainly not fine at all. 

“Are you okay?”

But it didn't hurt to ask again.

The child whimpered once more, his one large eye opened slightly to allow some of his tears to flow down the center of his face, washing away whatever dirt was stuck there from the last wave of tears that caked onto his face. The long winded whimper of his didn't take long for it to become a light sob, pulling Annie into a slightly panicked state. “O-Oh no!” She stuttered, pulling this unknown child into a half hug as she tried to comfort him. “Please, d-don’t cry! T-They’re gone now, s-see?”

“T-They’ll be back…”

Annie looked down at the child, a look of horror flooded her eyes. Her heart twisted even more at the sound of his voice. It was weak, helpless, stressed; and overall awful. Annie gulped. “B-back…?”

“T-they’re my regulars…” The child closed his eye once more, his head pounding from being yelled at and kicked for God knows how long. “N-no matter what I tell them, t-they always try to steal their money back w-when they’re not satisfied… and just this week t-they resorted to brute f-force..”

'Brute force?’ Annie clenched the little boy’s shirt. 'So they’ve been doing this all week!?’ She wondered why the child hasn't called the authorities on those monsters yet, brushing the fact that this young boy was already in the workforce as she reached up and wiped a large teardrop from the lid of his eye. “That’s terrible…”

“I-It gets worse.” The child paused for a brief moment and let out a weak cough. “They’ve lured me further and further away f-from where the only person that could h-help me is… a-and today… t-they smashed my phone.” He gestured over to a lime green device that was located on the other side of the slender alleway. It wasn't very apparent from a distance, but the device was split in two, making it completely impossible to repair. The child forced out a chuckle. “Spyke is gonna chew me out for this…”

'Spyke…?’ Odd. The name sounded all too familiar to her; and through a brief surge of thought, she failed to match the name with a face. It felt like she would've known of this person for years, but at the same time he felt like a complete stranger to her.

Shaking the thought of this mysterious man from her head she focused on the main problem at hand; the child. She pulled him closer to her, hoping that the closer contact would possibly dry his tears away. “H-Hey…” she hushed the whimpering boy with a whispering tone in her voice. “I-I’m sure he won't chew you out for what y-you’ve just gone through…” She held the child for another moment before releasing her grip on him, reaching for one of her bags beside her.

“W-what are you doing?”

“I-I bought something at the store to help me settle down a-after moving today. And I thought it would maybe settle you down a bit too…” Annie uttered out, squinting as she sifted through the contents of the plastic bag. “I-if I could find where the clerk put it, that is…”

“Y-You really don’t-”

“Aha!” Annie cooed, pulling out a small bag of chocolates. She swiftly opened the package and pulled out a few assorted morsels, handing them to the child. “H-Here, take them. I-It’s the least I can do to help you feel b-better.”

The small child stared at her extended palm before reaching up and hesitantly plucked them from her hand. The aroma of the treats seeped through the wrappers, and tickled the child’s nose. Something about that scent gave him a nostalgic sort of calmness that he wouldn’t of had otherwise. He forced a smile, his big eye had a slight joyful glimmer to it now. “Thanks, chum.”

Annie couldn’t help but to smile back at the child, letting out a soft chuckle. “N-no problem.” She fondled a small piece of chocolate in her hand as she set the bag of treats aside before unwrapping the little delicacy she held. There was a fairly long pause between the two as they sat in the now peaceful silence of the alleyway, nipping away at the bittersweet candy.

A little while later, Annie pulled out her phone, checking the time on her phone. Her eyes widened. “O-Oh crap, I-I don’t want you to be left alone a-after what happened, but I-I really need to get back h-home.” She stood up, carefully brushing the dirt off of her tunic. “D-Do you have anyone we can contact so you can get t-to someplace safe… s-safely?”

The child gulped down the last bit of candy he had, rolling his shoulders as he reached up to grab her phone. “Yeah, I do. It’ll take awhile for him to get here though.” He started to dial a phone number. “He’s all the way back at the square, it’s kind of a crazy long walk from there.”

Annie watched the child as he dialed the phone number and waited as the dial tone rang through his ears. By his posture and dialect, he seemed to act as if he felt a bit better. This made her smile. She always had a bit of a soft spot for young children like him, and it always pained her to see a child like that in a situation like his. After all, Moe was technically a child when she first met him in her teenaged years, she always had to pull that young cranky fish out of the trouble he caused; no matter how much she didn’t want to.

And after years of doing such a thing, it just sort of became this impulsive act.

The child then spoke up once more, snapping Annie out of whatever trance she was just in. 

“L-Listen Spyke, before you freak out-- I’m alive.” It was clear that the someone the child mentioned answered the call. “Why am I using someone else’s phone? Ah… Well… those guys who got after me earlier this week… they sort of jumped me on my way to my post and totaled my phone-- did they hurt me? Er-- well yeah… pretty badly, actually. But don’t worry this totally raw chick just came and scared them off!”

Raw? Did this kid, this kid she barely even knows, call her cool? And to another person she doesn't even know as well? Well that’s certainly… flattering, to say the least. Annie could feel her cheeks heat up at this indirect complement, scratching the back of her head from slight embarrassment.

“W-Wait, why are you-- I’m in the alleyway near that huge apartment building I always walk by on my way to the square w-why-- Oh you’re on your way? Right now? Uhm okay, I’ll stay here with her, but she has places to be right now... It won’t take you long? Okay I’ll tell her that.”

The child hung up the phone, sighing as he passed it back up to Annie. “It’s gonna take him a little while longer, you cool with staying here for a couple more minutes?”

Annie gulped, sitting back down next to the child, all while making a vague attempt to keep cool despite her face being completely red from that off the cuff complement. “I-I guess I can spare just a-a couple more minutes.” She hugged her knees once more, letting out a sigh. “Just to make s-sure those guys don't come back.”


	4. Chapter 4

“So let me get this straight… You just moved to this part of the city, today?” The kid asked, staring at her with curiosity littered within his singular eye.

“Y-Yeah…?”

“And you live in that apartment building that I walk by everyday?”

“W-well… I-I do now.” Annie’s shoulders drooped slightly. 'though, if I don't keep up with my payments… I’m not going to be able to live here for long.’ The sudden mention of her new home brought up the thought of paying the rent. A hundred thousand G per month. A Hundred. Thousand. Sure, she had enough to pay the first few months or so along side with the outstandingly cheap down payment of ten thousand G, but soon enough, she would run dry because of the constant payments to the proprietor of the building.

Hell, she was already living on a college budget. The bag completely filled with instant-noodles she bought a while ago was completely evident of her budget crisis. 

And all of that money going god-knows-where for her new home is mainly just for her friends and business. She didn't even wanted to leave her old home; it was perfect for her. A quaint apartment, just affordable enough for those who are fresh from the college campus with a degree in hand. There was only room for one within those walls, but she wasn't planning to live with anyone else at that time. And it was right next to the plaza as well, so it made things ultra convenient. 

It was all within a matter of time, along with the absence of her friends and poor social agenda, that made her leave that perfect home behind. Following behind the shadows of her closest friends who’ve left her behind without a sliver of words to be mentioned about this huge migration.

Again, what friends.

“Can I be the first person to welcome you to these parts, chum?”

The child's voice snapped her out of her trance once more, making her immediately turn her head to the kid who had a small smile on his lips. Annie cleared her throat. “I-I mean… I guess y-you can.”

“Well then, Welcome.” The kid shrugged his shoulders, wincing slightly from the pain that came alongside the action. “It ain’t the best place in the world to be, but there’s some real gold around the Square. Sorry you had to experience the worst of it this soon.”

Annie sighed. “N-No, no! Y-You don't need to a-apologize for anything! I-I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, t-there’s no need to apologize for t-that.”

“Really?”

Annie nodded. “I’ve lived in I-Inkopolis my whole life. I-I’ve seen a greater hell than what I-I’ve seen today. Trust m-me.” She returned his shrug with one of her own, slumping her own posture a bit. “And because of that I-It’s just... hard for me to trust people…”

“I can see where you come from there, Chum.” He let out a small sigh. “But after seein’ what you did for me just then, I can fully put my trust in you.”

“O-oh yeah that…” Annie blushed once more, burying her face into her knees as she brought her legs closer to her. “I-I’m sorry you h-had to see that. I’m usually not that v-violent-- or protective in that matter… especially for someone I-I whose name I don't e-even know...”

The kid sat there for a brief moment, collecting what she said before staring up at her once more. “Murch.”

Annie hummed.

“Murch’s the name.” He kindly nudged Annie, giving her the warmest chuckle he can muster up at that moment. “And there’s no reason to apologise for savin’ me.”

“B-But-”

“Bein’ sorry about saving me is just like me apologizing for having you witness any of this on your first day here, there’s no need to, chum.” Murch grinned, carefully slouching back on the brick wall behind him. “An’ now since you have a name to this total stranger you just saved, you should feel a bit more at ease now, right?”

“I-I guess…” Annie slumped back on the wall behind her, thinking about that young boys name as time went on between the two. 

Murch.

It was certainly a peculiar name to give a child, no doubt about it. And as much as it itched her to ask about how he was given such a name, she passed on asking it; knowing from what he said while pleading for help, and more importantly what he had already told her, she assumed that he had a background of mercantilism circling around in his younger days.

It would make sense, right?

Before either of them could speak up again, footsteps could be heard from the main portion of the alleway. The two of them froze at the sudden sounds echoing through the entire area. Before she could think, Annie stretched her arm out in front of Murch, suspecting that it might of been those inklings that harmed him coming back to harm the kid once more.

But what she saw was completely opposite of what she expected.

Whatever stepped from the wall that hid it before, stood there in complete astonishment as it stared the two down. The light filtering from the larger pathway made their tall and lanky form almost seem heavenly despite blocking out all of their featured. And all that could be seen clearly from them was their brightly colored eye, as the sun silhouetted out the rest of their body.

The form of whoever it was made Annie feel a bit anxious. But that didn't stop her from keeping her guard up. She was ready to help this child out of harm's way once more if she had to. 

Suddenly the figure jerked, sprinting towards the two with an unbelievable bound. Annie gulped, suddenly realizing that whoever this person was, she would be hopeless in trying to protect the kid from them. They were twice her size! What was she supposed to do, bite their shins? Cling onto their legs until they manage to fall over? Whatever nonsense idea that came to mind, she braced herself for it, squeezing her eyes shut as she prayed that, somehow, this was the guy Murch was talking about.

… He should be extremely close now, right?

There was no screaming or pleas to be heard, so that was automatically a good sign.

Annie opened her eyes, letting her guard down for a moment as she looked over to Murch, freezing up once more once she saw that the tall figure that charged them was hugging Murch; patting his back as he apparently held back tears.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry 'at I wasn't 'ere for ya, lad."

Well, that wasn't the voice she was quite expecting from a man, now seen in better lighting, was as well dressed as he was.

Murch, on the other hand, seemed to struggle when it came to not bursting into tears once more. He seemed overjoyed at the fact that the escort he was calling for, for who-knows-how-long, finally showed up. Annie watched as he buried his face into the older one’s black and white shawl, his tiny hands balled up, gripping the same fabric he buried his face into.

“S-Spyke!”

The muffled shouting of the child was flushed out by the elder one’s hushing as he continued to rub his back. But that one word was the only thing that seeped through the coos and past Annie’s ears. She thought she heard that name before, it was always tossed around left and right after people left her old work-place when it came to getting 'better service’.

Before she could lament on that name any further, the two orange-skinned males looked back towards her, shaking her from her frozen state. She stared at the two for a brief moment before awkwardly waving at them while her other arm searched for her plastic shopping bags.

Aside from the two looking alarmingly alike, she was taken back on how this man looked as a whole. Annie couldn't help but to frantically search whatever facial features she could see of the man as she gathered her things together. His wide eye and the gentle curve of his lips gave him an unbelievably soft look; and his style, although extremely tacky, somehow suited him all too well. And all of that combined with his somewhat light hearted, and weirdly silky voice...

Was ‘gorgeous’ an appropriate word to describe a man like him?

Before Annie could mentally gather any sort of answer to this sudden question that came to mind, she stood up with all of her bags somehow in hand. But as soon as she stepped towards the main alleyway, she felt a tug at the back of her sweater, stopping her in her place.

“Where ya’ goin’, lass?”

Annie gulped, slowly turning back to see that the man was staring right at her with a glint of curiosity in his eye. His arm was gently stretched out from grabbing hold of her hoodie. The tips of his fingers nearly touched her tunic, she couldn't help but to take a quick glance at his hand as a whole.

God it was huge.

“I-I was h-heading h-home?” Annie stammered out, averting eye contact from the man who grabbed her attention. “I-It’s pretty l-late a-after a-all…”

Holy shit. Where did all of that stuttering come from?

“You’re that 'raw chick’ Murch was ramblin’ on about when he called, yeah?” The man asked, giving her a small smile.

Annie could feel her cheeks heat up as she saw the small grin that was directed towards her, she looked away as she muttered out a simple, “Yeah…” before repeating the statement about her needing to head home. The man’s smile waned a bit as he nodded his head in understanding. “I can’t 'ave ya leave without thankin’ ya for wot ya did.”

“O-Oh… I-It’s nothing m-much r-really.” Annie mentally cursed herself for all of her nonsensical blubbering, almost to the point where she could physically feel herself heaving out the words that she mentally yelled out. It had been two solid years since she’s tripped over her own words this much in a conversation, and the sudden backtrack made her feel humiliated. Even more so as a first impression to a man who seemed far too aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

“I’m serious, lass!” He chuckled. “It would be a crime if I left a hero like ya out ta dry like 'at. So tell ya wot…” He pulled out his phone and swiftly the last number he called to his contacts. “If ya need anyfing’, hit me up, alright lass?”

“A-alright…?”

“Good, now lemme see if I added the right number…”

After a brief moment of silence, Annie's phone went off, making her jump a bit in shock. She dropped a few of her bags once more and reached into her hoodie pocket, pulling out her phone and swiftly unlocked it. She quickly checked her text notifications and saw that the most recent text she received, only moments ago, was of an emoticon of a super sea snail of all things. Without another thought she showed the text to the man, who smiled at the sight of the small emoticon. “Bingo.” He tucked his phone back into one of the pockets of his high-wasted baggy slacks and stood up, helping the child back onto his feet as he did so.

Annie quickly followed suit, picking up her bags shortly afterwards, taking that the pair standing up as a cue for her to finally leave.

…

Hours passed, and Annie couldn't shake the thought of that man out of that little noggin of hers. She laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as thoughts of him weaved through her head.

He just seemed so familiar. 

There was just something about his looks, just something about his composure that seriously rang a bell. She’ve must of seen him somewhere before. But, where? Even when the face was paired with a name she still drew a blank when it came to recognition. And that fact alone made her want to kick herself.

And it doesn't help when that face of his drove her away from figuring out who the hell he was. It was just too beautiful not to think of. It just seemed so soft and welcoming, and his skin looked so smooth and gentle too. He just seemed so… attractive; one would say.

It would be an utter shock to find out that he was a bachelor.

Wait, what?

“Nononononononono…” Annie muttered to herself, throwing herself up into a sitting position. She covered her already flushed face with her tiny hands, trying to shake the thoughts of the man from her head. She can’t be attracted to him already. She was never the one to become infatuated by one’s looks. Hell, she never even thought of the dating scene in her life. 

“Annie what the hell are you going on about?”

The sudden blurt out from her fishy companion, who seemed to be watching her since she got home, shook her from her thoughts. Making her sigh a bit in relief. She’d never thought that Moe's obnoxious voice would be the safe haven that would drive her out of the hellish pit of romanticism she found herself in, but thank God it was. She smiled. “I-It’s nothing Moe, I-I’ve just haven't eaten much today and it’s taking a toll on me.”

Moe looked at her questioningly before leaping out of the bowl he peeped out of and into her hair once more. “Are ya sure?”

Annie rubbed her stomach. The only thing she really had to eat today was that chocolate she shared with that kid a few hours ago. She was just so absorbed in moving into this new apartment, she really didn't make any sort of time for eating. 

“Yeah, I-I’m sure Moe.”


	5. Chapter 5

Ramen.

Cheap, run-of-the-mill, bargain brand insta-ramen.

Just fill 'er up with water and shove 'er in the microwave for a minute or two and it's something to hold someone over for a few hours or so. It was debatable whether or not it was considered a legitimate meal to have, but one thing was definitely for certain; Annie was going to be stuck eating it for a long time.

She remembered back in the days where she, at the least, attempted to pass college; she used to eat them for every single meal just so she can stay in her sorority room for the winter. Moe hated it. He always complained about the bland taste of the cheap noodles and how the soup of the ramen tasted more like watered down grease than anything.

It was highly annoying, but he did have a point.

They were 90 G a cup. A steal back in her college days. And knowing that she would spend more on equipment that may or may not be used in the future, she needed to take what she could get, no matter how horrible the taste was.

Sure, 300 G was a bit more on the expensive side when it came to cheap ramen, but after whatever noodle hell she experienced back in the day, she was willing to splurge a bit more on something more decent.

Annie rolled her eyes as a loud groan sounded from the top of her head. Of course he was repulsed by the sight of all the ramen she bought today, of course he was. “Moe, listen…” Annie sighed as she leaned back on the corner counter nearby the microwave. “I know you hate instant noodles, but I bought a completely different brand this time.”

“So? It’s still the same shit we ate four years ago.”

Annie tisked. “Just give it a chance.”

“Hell no!”

She rolled her eyes once more, shaking her head as the microwave sounded a long winded beep. She promptly retrieved the pseudo meal and retreated to the nearest chair that wasn’t still wrapped up from moving; which happened to be in her room at that given time. As she drowsily trudged down the hall, stirring the noodles around in their plastic container, thoughts of what occurred a few hours ago replayed in her head. 

She remembered that the tall man, whose name was apparently Spyke, shouting something about visiting them when she had the time as she walked away. She didn’t really consider dropping by at the drop of the hat, especially tomorrow; but now that she had the time to remotely think about it, dropping by just for a short while to check up on that kid to see how he’s faring after being thrashed about like that.

But that meant that she would leave earlier to meet up with Sheldon on time. She didn’t mind waking up earlier, but Moe on the other hand, would argue otherwise.

She sighed, knowing that she’ll cross that road when she gets there. Besides she had greater things to worry about at the moment concerning her schedule.

She entered her room once more, taking a forkful of her ramen into her mouth before she placed the plastic cutlery on her desk next to her computer. She marched to the foot of her bed, where she left the bag containing the router before drifting off in her embarrassing thoughts an hour or so ago. She yanked the small box out of the bag, wasting almost no time at all on setting up the small module; all while coming back to her ramen for the occasional bite or two.

Eventually, she got the thing hooked up and functioning. Smiling at her somewhat tedious task finally being done, she stood up heading straight to her desk and taking a seat at it once more. She sighed as she rolled herself closer to her computer, opening it up as she took another bite of her now somewhat room temperature microwave meal.

As the screen flickered on, she could hear her phone go off from the other side of her room, making her roll her eyes.

Nothing productive was going to get done tonight.

She rolled her chair away from her desk, grunting out of annoyance as she made her way over to her bedside table. She retrieved her phone and rolled back over to her desk, unlocking phone as she did so; checking whatever caused that notification to go off before proceeding to work on more proof reading for her novel.

She scrolled through the wall of text that appeared before her… apparently whoever was texting her at that time was doing for it for quite sometime. It was a mystery where the texts came from, until she reached the end of the fairly short text log, that's when it clicked.

Why was that man she met earlier texting her?

She blushed a bit as she began to read the wall of text he sent her, praying that Moe wouldn't notice her sudden uneasy silence.

“Hey, Love-”

She caught her breath for a moment, the nickname throwing her completely off guard. She tried desperately not to think of it as she read on, pushing the word out of her head as best she could.

“-I just wanted to thank you again for saving Murch today, but I feel that thanking you over and over again just feels wrong. You deserve more for throwing yourself into danger for a stranger you didn't know. And I feel like, as another stranger who is in charge of him and all of his actions, I’m in your debt.”

Wait… what?

Was this man, who she met merely a few hours ago, implying that he has the need to return the favor? For real? Annie stopped reading for a moment and placed her phone down, trying to process what the man just sent her. Sighing as she stared up at the monitor of her computer while her mind was clogged up with these sudden thoughts. The brief glance reminded her of all the work she had to do herself. And she knew that perfecting her novel and setting up her online shop was going to be an extreme hassle that would take a long time to pull off, so she needed all the support she can get.

But then again, she never told a soul on how she was going to get her hands on the garments she, herself, was going to sell. Mainly because it was borderline bootleggerey and she was afraid that her friends would tattle on her for legal reasons; despite them being the most loyal people known within her circle.

She looked back at her phone, brushing those troublesome thoughts aside as well as she picked her phone up once more; continuing to read the wall of text that ran off both ends of her screen.

“If you’re wondering, Murch is healing up well.” 

Oh thank God.

“I told his mother about the incident and how long it's been going on and she told me to notify the authorities the next time this happens. I was also given the responsibility to walk Murch to and from his post every day to make sure he’s out of harm's way. So there’s that. But enough digressing, like I said, I'm in your debt. If you need anything, love, let me know and I’ll see what I can do. Sleep tight.”

Annie couldn't help but to smile. It was such a nice set of words to see after such a long and gruesome day, really. The odd amount of kindness this man she barely new gave her was honestly the breath of relief she needed after whatever hell occurred today. And out of anything, hearing that the kid was doing well somehow lifted a massive weight from her shoulders.

She sent a quick ‘thank you’ as a response and placed her phone back on her desk before looking back up at her monitor for a brief moment, before closing the computer and standing up. She stretched out her entire body before walking over to Moe’s fish bowl, gently placing him within its still waters before heading to her bed herself.

Sure she didn't really do much in the way of work like she planned to today. But after all she had been through, a night's long rest was something that she deserved. And besides, she had huge plans tomorrow. She wouldn't want to be tired during her time with her best friend, now would she?

Annie lept into her bed, placing her glasses on her bedside table before tossing her bed sheets over her small body.

…

The following morning was as routine as it was back at the plaza. She would wake up, check the time, eat something that would serve as her breakfast. And usually after a quick shower and finding at something somewhat decent to wear, she would find herself spending more time than expected trying to shake her tired familiar awake.

“Moe come on! Wake up!” Annie grunted as she agitated the fishbowl on her wardrobe. “You know I have to see Sheldon today!”

Moe opened one of his beady eyes, letting out a groggy groan as the sloshing water jostled him around. “Can Sheldon wait like… five more minutes? Yesterday took a lot out of me…”

“You slept for most of the day yesterday!” Annie reached in her bowl and scooped out the small fish herself, shoving him in her hair as she frantically gathered her things together. “You should be fine!” Moe grunted at her unusual amount of enthusiasm, groggily looming over her bangs to see her frantically shoving her essentials into a bag she pulled from the corner of her room. The brella she needed to bring with her to Ammo Knights today was already close at hand, knowing she had to carry it with her since it was rather large to put it in her bag alone.

Without thinking about double checking, she threw her bag over her shoulder and yanked the weapon prototype off of her bed, sprinting out of her apartment and to the nearest elevator.

As she felt the tethered box descend, she pulled out her phone to check the time. It was half past seven in the morning, a rather peculiar time to wake up at nowadays, but was perfectly reasonable for early morning workers to commute across the city for whatever job they had to do; as crazy as others would take it.

Annie may not have that job to go to, but she had a busy-body bestie to meet today, and he had a bit of a policy on being on time with his tight schedule. Especially with casual visits like these. She knew she had to be on time.

It wasn’t long until the whirring of the elevator stopped and its doors squeakily slid open, allowing her to step out of the small suspended box. She huffed as she stepped through, pacing towards the apartment building’s main entrance as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. She slipped her other arm through the empty strap of her backpack as she juggled the weapon prototype between her hands, backing into the buildings front doors all while she awkwardly fiddled with the objects with her.

Before she could hook the brella around her wrist once more, she felt someone bump into her; tripping her up on her already unsteady feet, causing her to fall over. The brella tumbled out of her hand as her knees scraped the pavement below her, the soft sound of the door shutting was overwhelmed by apologies directed towards her.

She sharply breathed in on the unwarranted sting of pain, trying to hold back any sort of sign of reaction. Though Moe, now wide awake, didn't take lightly to the rude awakening.

And despite their apologies, that didn't stop him from chewing them out.

“HEY JACKASS! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!”

Annie tisked as she rolled over, ignoring the stinging pain as she grabbed hold of the tiny fish. “Moe…” she sighed, her eyes trailing up towards the one who knocked her over. “Yelling at someone's mistakes is not… how.. you…”

Her voice trailed off.

Oh dear lord.

“S-Spyke!?”

It was that man from last night.

Annie quickly stuffed Moe into her hoodie pockets, standing up as Murch appeared from behind the taller Urchin as he chuckled. “Ya remembered my name, love!” He smiled down at her, folding his arms as Annie stood up in her flustered manner. “That’s a first. Especially for someone I barely knew before.”

'I’ve heard it more than enough times yesterday…’ Annie blushed, trying to force herself into making eye contact with the sea urchin before her. 'It would be impossible to forget it now.’

“So wot brings ya out here at this early hour?”

Annie gulped, finally finding herself making adequate eye contact with the man towering over her. “I-I was just heading to the square to uhm… meet a friend, a-at his job.” She fidgeted with the strap of the prototype weapon that loosely dangled from her wrist. “I-I haven't seen him in almost a y-year… So I didn't want to keep him waiting…”

Spyke hummed, taking in what the stammering anemone told him before smiling once more. “Well then, how about we walk wif ya, love? We are headin’ to the same place after all.”

Annie froze at the sudden offer. “R-really?”

“Yep! Murch’s post happens to be right by the lobby, and as for me.” Spyke paused, revealing a black, faux leather case. “I’ve gotta work on my own stuff too, ya know.” He gave it a quick pat before slinging it comfortably over his shoulder once more. “Whaddya say?”

Annie sighed, trying her best to keep the squirming fish in her pocket at bay. “S-Sure… it’s always better to walk with other people… I-I suppose.”

Spyke smiled, looking down at the smaller urchin who reflected the same expression before looking back at Annie. “Right then, love. Let’s get goin’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, it's been a while since I updated this story! aha, sorry. I've been in a huge emotional rut as of late, leaving behind a huge creativity block as I just sunk in my bed day after day. I finished this chapter quite a while ago, hoping to be halfway through the next chapter by the time I posted this one... and I'm about a paragraphs worth through with writing it.
> 
> haha... oops. ;;;
> 
> Dont worry though! I've been trying to work myself out the block by making lil sketches and thinking up scenarios for writing one off fics, so expect more to come!


	6. Chapter 6

“You could've killed me back there, you know.”

Annie rolled her eyes at the fish’s passive aggressive comment, attempting to calm him down around the people she was walking with. “Moe please.” She whispered. “Quiet down, you’re gonna embarrass me again.”

“Since when are you _not_ embarrassed?”

“Moe.” 

Moe tisked, slumping onto Annie’s petite shoulder. “Besides, you made yourself look like a damn fool earlier.”

_ “Moe.”  _ Annie let out a deep sigh, rolling her eyes back a she prayed that the two sea urchins didn’t notice her small quarrel with the familiar that rested on her shoulder. “Could you save this for later?”

“What if I didn’t want to save it for later, huh?”

She tisked, removing the fish from her shoulder just so she can make direct eye contact with him. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She glared at her squirming familiar. “Did you somehow enjoy it in my pocket? Because if you keep this up I’m shoving you back in there.” 

“Alright,  _ alright _ ! I’ll shut up!”

“Good.” Annie smiled, slipping the fish back into her hair and waited for him to settle himself into her locks once more before looking over at the two sea urchins she walked with. 

Spyke seemed to not be used to waking up at this time much like Moe was, and his slightly slumped posture and the light bags under his eye made it a dead give away. But despite that, he managed to keep a steady pace and gaze when he walked. His long arms drooped down past his hips, only having his right arm being the one that moved due to the smaller sea urchin that walked between the two, holding his left hand. Well, not necessarily "holding" his hand, since Murch’s height reached up to Spyke’s knees, and his short arms could only reach up so high; he wound up clinging to two of Spyke’s fingers, coupling the innocent action of his with a youthful, kindergartner-like spring in his step;fully  knowing that with Spyke courting him to and from the Square would make him all the more safer for now on.

Annie chuckled at the sight. She knew that the two shared a close bond already due to yesterday’s events, but she didn’t know that they shared a connection like the one being shown to her at that moment. It was like Spyke was treating Murch as if he was his own child. He cared for him, he wanted to make sure that he was safe. And that alone made the kid happy.

It was _super_ sweet. _Adorable_ , even.

Even when the three of them stopped at a junction crossing, waiting for the heavy traffic to clear up so they could cross, Murch still clung to his fingers; standing up on his toes so he wouldn't stretch out his arm as much as he already was.

Annie was so absorbed on watching the two interact with one another, learning more and more about their relationship with these little interactions. So much so, that Spyke literally scared her when he tried to grab her attention. 

She squeaked at the sound of his voice suddenly dragging her out of her trance, her cheeks became a soft pink in embarrassment as she looked up at him. “Y-Yeah? W-What’s up?”

Spyke huffed, softly chuckling at the anemone’s reaction. “You okay ‘ere, love?” He smiled down at her. “We kin’a lost ya there for a bit.”

“Oh no-no! I-I was just thinking about something!” She rubbed the back of her head, shyly returning the smile he gave her. “Did you need anything?”

“Yeah.” Spyke looked back at the walkway in front of him, the pathway appearing to almost be safe to cross. “I wan’ed to talk about ‘at friend ya meetin’.”

“Oh really?” Annie cupped her hands on her chest, looking back in the same direction as he was as the umbrella like weapon she carried dangled from her wrist. “What a-about him do you want to k-know?”

There was a short pause between the two as the tall urchin took in a deep breath. “Wot’s this guy ya’ meetin up with like?”

Annie’s blush grew slightly darker as she stammered out an answer. “O-Oh, uhm.” She sighed. “H-He’s a really nice guy, and really committed to his job t-too. H-He might actually not even see h-his job as a job-- so to speak. I-It’s more like a hobby to him. A h-hobby that he’s super invested in. I-invested to the p-point where it’s kind of a-annoying, actually. And I... uh…” Annie took the weaponized everyday item into her hands, examining it  as she rambled on. “B-Before he m-moved out to the square, we worked on designing a new weapon t-together. H-He already had me there part time, and he knew that I wouldn’t have a thing to do on s-somedays so he just called me over a-and sat me down one day a-and said: ‘Annie, I want you to help me with designing a weapon.’”

She held the weapon closer to her, sighing once more. “W-we managed to scrape together a prototype b-before he left for the Square. H-He told me to hold onto it i-if I ever intend to swing by the Square in the near f-future.”

“Ah.” Spyke huffed, knowing exactly who the anemone was referring to as soon as she said the word ‘annoying’. “So he’s a pret’y close friend of yours, huh love?”

Annie chuckled, ignoring the slightly flat tone Spyke had in the previous statement he spoke. “‘R-Really close’ friends? T-try ‘One of my o-only’ friends.”

“Oh, _bollocks_.” Spyke rolled his eye. “There ‘as ta be more people ya consider to be a friend ta ya.”

“W-Well….” Annie released the brella from her grip, letting it dangle from her wrist once more. “I-It’s not e-easy to trust people h-here.” 

“Well, you’re walkin’ wif us, yeah?” Spyke stepped off the sidewalk the three stood on, walking across the street with the other two trailing behind him. “Wouldn’t ‘at mean ya trust _us_ to some degree?”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Well, if ya di’n’t trust us, ya wouldn’t be walkin’ wit’ us right now, right?”

“I-I mean, I-I guess,b-but-” Annie choked on her own words, her cheeks turning red with the realization that she couldn’t defend her case of ‘not trusting people that she just met’ at that point. “N-Nevermind.”

Spyke smirked, a soft chuckle seeped through his lips. “Well, if it makes ya feel a bit better abou’ it, Murch n’ I definitely trust you. So th' feelin's at th’ least mutual, right love?”

_ Right. _

…

The three eventually reached the Square and promptly parted ways, Spyke reassuring her that if she needs anything, he and Murch will be by the Ink Battle lobby, before he escorted the small urchin to his post; leaving Annie to her own devices.

Annie watched the two walk off before her eyes trailed around the small, bustling area. She couldn’t help to feel intimidated by it all, the mostly dull colors of the Square were an unwelcoming sign to her compared to the bright colors of the Plaza that she already missed oh-so dearly.

It felt so crowded there, and it kind of made her anxious.

She tried to push her way through the bustling area, her already slow strides grew more and more hesitant as she made her way to Ammo Knights. Which unfortunately for her, was on the other side of the Square; and when she cleared the large, bustling crowd of inklings, she was greeted with the more unfortunate sight of Sheldon, the one person she was looking forward to seeing this morning, being dragged out from his shop by an inkling that seemed desperate for help. The very sight of it caused a pit in her stomach, but made her rush over to the scene, just so she can know what was even going on.

“S-Sheldon?”

Sheldon, and the inkling who was dragging him to a grated manhole stopped in their tracks, turning to the anemone that stood before the two. The horseshoe crab ripped his hand from the inkling’s vice grip, awkwardly cupping his hands in front of him as he greeted her. “Annie!~” He slipped in a forced chuckle. “H-How’s it going?”

Annie cupped her hands on her chest once more. “W-What’s going o-”

“Listen, before I say anything else, I’m _terribly_ sorry for going back on our plans this morning.” Sheldon paused, sighing heavily as he tried to maintain eye contact with her. “I wasn’t expecting Marie to barge into my shop like this and beg me to help her. And since I don’t have the option to make her wait for much longer, I need to go.”

‘Marie?’ Annie slowly shifted her gaze to the inkling next to him only to see the exact person she thought of when he said the mentioned inkling’s name.

Marie. _That_ Marie. The Marie from the _Squid Sisters_.

The thought of her being the one to demand Sheldon for help, out of all people, was strange in itself. But before she could ask why he was helping her, Marie grabbed Sheldon by his wrist and kicked open the Manhole they stood next to. “Yes, and your gabbing is wasting us time! So shut up, and let’s _go!_ ”

Sheldon nodded, rolling his eyes as he looked back at Annie. “Again, I’m _SO_ sorry about this Annie! I-I didn’t intend on this ha-”

“N-No no!” Annie interrupted, forcing a smile as she returned his gaze. “I-If you need to go do something, go do it! I-I don’t mind!” 

“O-Okay.” He stammered as Marie leaped into the manhole. “I-I promise to make it up to you later on! Just stay here in the meantime, alright?”

“Okay…” Annie sighed as she watched her friend leap into the manhole, following the Idol that he was obligated to assist; the manhole’s lid abruptly closing as soon as he vanished from sight.

She glumly looked down at the pavement, humming as she slowly proceeded to hug herself; mentally chanting a mantra to keep herself from crying.

She lied.

She _did_ mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OJHSSJFPSAJHDPKD I'M SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING THIS IN A FEW MONTHS. I STARTED WRITING THIS RIGHT BEFORE A MASSIVE WAVE OF DEPRESSION HIT AND I ONLY REGAINED MOTIVATION TO WRITE THIS LAST NIGHT.
> 
> THE SAME DEPRESSION IS PRETTY MUCH THE REASON WHY THIS CHAPTER IS THE SHORTEST ONE SO FAR TOO???
> 
> I PROMISE I'LL BE BETTER WITH THE UPDATES!


	7. Chapter 7

_ Great. _

That very word repeated through Annie’s head for the past half an hour. The tone being anything other than what the word actually meant. The tone was sarcastic, and almost taunting. She was left behind by a friend once more. And at that rate, she thought that she would be used to being ditched last second, knowing full well that this sort of thing always happened, even before she met the people she knew now. She thought that being ditched wouldn’t break her heart anymore.

But it did.

It broke her heart like it did the last time this sort of thing happened, same with the time before that and so on. She had gotten better about not bursting into tears about this sort of thing, but as she sat on the doorstep of the shop she was ditched at, holding the umbrella-like weapon between her legs while kicking up dirt and soot from the pavement; she started to slip from the somewhat calm facade she held.

This didn’t only leave her disappointed and sad, it also left her somewhat  _ angry _ .

Angry at the fact that after months and months of trying to get a hold of an old friend and finally arrange a meetup, only to get  _ ditched  _ as soon as she shows up to the place she spent an hour walking to. Why wouldn’t she get mad!?

She clenched her tunic, gritting her teeth as the thought of what just took place kept replaying in her head. It was her second day living near the Square, and judging by the fact that one of her two reasons of moving there in the first place was immediately recognized as a reason made in vain, she started to regret her choice in moving to these parts.

What was the point in it other than  _ business obligations _ at this rate!?

Annie stood up and turned to face the shop she wasted her time making her way to, and, due to being unable to contain her anger anymore, delivered a few solid kicks to the wooden step that she once sat on. Eventually splitting the aged wood with the sheer force of her actions, tears finally streaming down her cheeks.

She held herself, trembling with a whole mixture of emotions rushing through her being. She’s grown tired of being left behind like this, even if it was for the time being. Sheldon said he would be back-- sort of-- but she had a gut feeling that he would be gone all day. And that gut feeling twisted her stomach to the point where she almost felt sick. It was obviously worse than the pain she felt when he left, growing to the point where she found it hard to stand still.

But she had to, she was scared of walking around within the bustling square alone. She didn’t want to see the sights that were there to see. At that rate, she just wanted to go home. And not to her new apartment, to her old one. Sure it was a tight fit for everything there, but she felt safe there. She was happy with her old life and now the “trend tide” forced her onto a new life entirely because of her new not-quite-a-job-yet job and her old friends that left her in the dust. She wanted to go see the one silver lining that this new life already gave her, but that would mean she would have to cross the Square again just to see them. Sure, it was a significantly shorter walk than it was when crossing the Square to make it to Ammo Knights; but she was still far too scared to walk in the area by herself.

The only thing she could pull herself to do at the moment was just stand there, trying her best to maintain her balance due to the sudden vertigo the abandonment caused her.

… So when she felt something tap her shoulder, she became  _ horrified _ .

She shrieked, falling over as she tried to turn around to see whatever grazed her shoulder, her head hitting the same wooden doorstep she kicked in moments ago; a fair amount tears flung off of her face in throughout the process of the short instinctive reaction of hers. Grunting and slumping down in defeat once the initial shock of the impact faded, her tear filled eyes squinting as she looked straight up at what was above her.

There was a pause as she took in a sharp breath, bracing herself for the worst case scenario if it were to happen.

And fortunately, to her surprise,  it didn't happen.

“Oh my god, I’m so  _ sorry _ ! A-are you okay?”

In fact, it was the exact opposite of what she expected to happen.

Annie collected herself as she sat up, her eyes immediately landing on a soft figure with an extremely shocked, yet concerned expression on her face. Rubbing the back of her head as she nearly answered the question out of instinct, catching herself before she lied once more.

“I-I’m actually... n-not…”

The woman in front of her frowned as she cautiously approached Annie, reaching a covered hand out to her in a silent offering of helping her up. An offer that Annie hesitated on, but gladly took.It was a bit strange to her. This was the third stranger that was nice to her so far on her time spent in this alien area, and she didn’t know if she should be grateful or suspicious at it all.

Either way, she was a bit grateful that someone was concerned about her-- other than Moe, of course.

Once the strange woman helped her onto her feet, Annie couldn’t help but to notice that she was…  _ shorter  _ than her. Granted, not by much. But once she regained her balance, her eyes met with a small white creature that was on her head, and not the worried eyes of the woman who helped her up. She took a step back so she can look the woman in the eyes, giving her a small bow of gratitude, careful as to not lose her balance once more. “T-Thank you, M-Miss.” she softly stuttered as she looked back to the woman.

“Hey, no problem. Anything for a newbie.”

“ _ N-Newbie? _ ” she muttered to herself, gently bringing a fist to her mouth. She did look like she was out of her element, did she? She was a complete nervous mess as soon as those two sea urchins left her side. But was it really  _ that _ obvious?

“Look, I know what it’s like to be out of your element-- don’t worry.”

_ How did she- _

“But as long as you have the right people around you, your stay here will be  _ entirely _ worry free!”

Annie glumly averted her gaze, making the woman frown. The anemone’s body language was enough of an indicator to the woman that she didn’t know much people around the Square, and whoever she knew that was there with her, just left her behind without warning.

She reached out to the sea anemone, furrowing her eyebrows with a greater concern than before. “Y-You don’t have anyone with you right now… Do you?”

“I…” Annie sighed, hugging herself once more. “I guess n-not.”

Annie suddenly felt the woman’s hands on her shoulders, her gentle touch made her jump at first contact, but was over all calming and somewhat reassuring. “Listen, Newbie...” the woman spoke in  a soft, somewhat hushed tone. “... My store is rather empty in the morning hours, and quiet solitude sounds like something you need right now… would you like to come in?”

…

Annie slumped back in a comically large beanbag chair that was positioned in the corner of the main room of the shop she was guided into, taking in the rustic-retro aesthetic of it all. The warm colors of the area coupled by the calming music and the natural lighting almost immediately calmed her down, easing up the anxiety of being abandoned almost an hour ago by what was considered to be a friend of hers.

Just as she was beginning to finally relax, Moe popped out of her hair, and leaped down onto her lap so he could talk to her face to face. “Yo, Annie… You, uh... you’re feeling better, right?”

Annie softly sighed. “I… I think so…”

“Good.” Moe nodded. “I wanted to say something earlier but knowing the mood you were in, saying it would probably result in me being thrown against the pavement or something.”

“What even was it?”

“I was gonna say that you needed to get new friends, Annie.”

Annie tisked. “That’s kinda strange coming from a guy who  _ literally _ hates anyone who looks at him.”

“Very funny.”

“You yelled at someone I bumped into this morning.”

Moe rolled his eyes. “ _ Don’t patronize me _ .”

Annie couldn’t help but to chuckle at her familiar’s retaliation, scooping him up and placing him back into her hair as a small smile formed on her lips. “I get what you’re trying to say though. I need to get to know new people so I can have more people to turn to in the future.”

“Or at least try to.”   


Annie chuckled once more. “Yeah,  _ at least _ .”

“Hey, Newbie!~”

Annie jolted at the voice that was calling for her, quickly looking over at the woman who invited her inside her shop before the late morning rush came through. She watched as the woman struggled to carry two drinks over to where she was, being cautious as to not spill anything as she made her way to the anemone.

“H-Hey, u-uh miss!” Annie leaned forward, slightly reaching out towards the struggling lady. “D-Do you need a-any help?”

“Nonono, it’s okay, I got it!”

The woman eventually made her way over to Annie, handing her a glass of water before sitting down next to her, letting out a small huff as she repositioned the glass that she held in her dainty hands. 

Annie smiled, taking a sip of water as she fidgeted around with her feet.  “T-Thanks Ma’am…” She stuttered out, her eyes suddenly widening  as she mentally repeated the previous word that fell from her mouth. “I… uhm… I-I feel like you don’t like it when I-I refer you to as ‘M-Miss’ or ‘Ma’am’... Y-You’re probably getting a bit  _ annoyed _ by it by n-now… A-actually...”

The woman smirked. “Oh no, no, no! I don’t mind that at all, Newbie! It kinda gives me an aura of dignity and refinement!” She playfully nudged the anemone next to her. “... Though, _you_ might be sick of being called ‘Newbie’, aren’tchya?”

“... A-A little bit...”

“Awh, I’m sorry ‘bout that sweetie!~” She giggled, elbowing the anemone once more. “Y‘mind tellin’ me your name, then?~”

“I-I… uhm…”

“C’mon!~ Don’t be so nervous! I don’t bite!”

“U-Uh-”

“I’ll tell you  _ mine _ if you tell me  _ yours _ .~~”

Annie softly blushed at the woman’s persistence, letting out a soft chuckle as she gave in to her light-hearted pestering. “A-Alright,  _ alright _ ! I-It’s Annie!”

The woman, beamed, cooing at the sound of her name. “ _ Awww! _ ~ That’s such an adorable name, sweetie!” She paused, bringing her glass up to her lips to take a sip of whatever was in her glass. While simultaneously putting the same beverage within Annie’s line of sight.

Annie hummed, cocking her head to the side at the sight of the liquid. It’s distinct color and slight fermented scent was a dead giveaway on what it was; which made her a bit shocked, and a little bit more confused.

It was  _ wine _ .

Something that a woman like her appeared far too young to drink. Let alone have in her  _ possession _ .

Annie herself also appeared a bit young for age, despite being in her early twenties. But this woman who sat right next to her looked to be,  _ at most _ , the age of thirteen.

Annie knew that she was older than that due to how mature the woman’s voice sounded, but she honestly didn’t expect her to be over the age of twenty herself.

The woman hummed to herself as she removed the glass from her lips, lowering it back onto her lap as she turned to face Annie with a small smile. The action pulling Annie out of her small trance just in time to hear the woman finally introduce herself.

“By the way, sweetie, th’ names Flow.”

…

Annie spent more time than she would of liked to talking to Flow that morning. She seemed to learn more about the slug lady in an hour than she did talking to her older friends! Flow was one interesting individual to learn about too. And learning that she was a former globetrotter was just scratching the surface of what made that woman tick.

It was rather  _ odd _ how she managed to click with her so easily, too.

Throughout her life, Annie struggled with getting along with others due to her being extremely apprehensive and socially awkward. But with Flow, it was somehow different. Extremely different. It was like how Annie grew so close to Moe as a kid-- They were polar opposites. Flow was almost exactly like Moe, she just wasn’t a dick to everyone like he was.

Even their familiars were polar opposites.

“W-Wait, Wait,  _ W-Wait _ \--” Annie interrupted Flow, putting a hand on the slug’s small shoulder as she tried her best to stifle her laughter. “W-Why was he even traveling a-alone!?”

“I don’t know, really!” Flow grinned, stroking the white shrimp between his small antenna as she softly giggled. “He was carrying a map that was like  _ six _ times his size! I knew he needed help! And we got to his destination, he  _ refused _ to let me leave! So I just rolled with it and we’ve been friends ever since!” She leaned forward to look the small shrimp in his small yet wide eyes. “Isn’t that right, Craymond?”

The small shrimp on her lap nodded before he scuttled up her arm and back to the top of her head. Precariously leaning on the brim of her hat-like hair as he stared over at Annie, who chuckled at the little guy’s antics.

The four of them sat there for a little while longer, chatting away the morning like it never happened to begin with, before Flow stood up and stretched out her back. “Hey, Annie?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Are you hungry, by any chance?”

Annie stood up, nearly mimicking the slug’s movements. “I-I really didn’t eat much this morning… S-So I guess?”

  
“ _ Oh!~ _ ” Flow’s eyes lit up as she turned to the anemone next to her. “Y’mind if I treat ya to brunch then, sweetie?”


	8. Chapter 8

Being dragged across the Square was certainly better than walking through it by yourself, that's for sure. But Annie was still intimidated by the clutter of the square, and it showed in the tightness of her grip. Flow was that beacon of salvation she needed earlier to help her make her way through the mess of the Square itself, but she didn’t entirely put her trust in her… Well, not yet, at least. But the fact that she trusted her over the majority of those within the Square, soothed her worries to the point where walking with her was enough to pacify most of her anxiety.

Once the two were in a food-court-like area, Flow immediately turned to face the troubled anemone, looking at her with slight concern.

“You okay there, Annie?” She asked, shaking her hand out of Annie’s grip. “You seemed a bit scared back in that crowd, y’know.”

“N-No no! I-I’m fine!” Annie tucked her hands into her hoodie pockets, letting out a short huff as she shrugged her shoulders. “I-I honestly felt more calm back t-there t-than I did making my w-way through t-that crowd e-earlier.”

“Oh, phew!” Flow’s gaze of concern was quickly replaced with a small grin. “I just wanted to make sure.”

“ _ Annie? _ ”

The anemone gulped at the voice that cut through their small talk, her body instinctively turning to face the truck in which the booming voice came from. Her eyes slightly widened in shock as she almost immediately recognized the man who leaned over the counter inside of his food truck. “... S- _ Sean _ ?”

_ “Oh my god.”  _

The tall man immediately pushed himself off of the counter he leaned on, sprinting his way out of the back of his truck and over to the two girls without hesitation. “Oh my god, it’s YOU!”

Annie awkwardly chuckle as the large fried prawn squatted down to give her a quick hug, causing her to blush a bit from the sudden gesture. “H-haha… Yeah… it’s me!” She took a step back, gently tucking her hands into her pockets. “I-I didn't know that this was where y-you worked n-now.”

“I didn't know that  _ you  _ lived down here!”

“T… That’s because I just moved here yesterday…”

“Ah.” Sean huffed, placing his two large claws on his hips. “That explains it! So what brings you down to the square today? You’re supposed to be settling in, right?”

Annie lightly sighed, hanging her head and biting her lip slightly as she attempted to hold back tears from recalling events that occurred mere hours ago. “U-um--”

“A friend stood her up because he had other plans.” Flow cut into the conversation, placing a hand on the slightly trembling anemone’s shoulder. “... And it got to her  _ preeeeetty _ bad.”

“Ouch.” Sean let out a small sigh as the two girls in front of him nodded. “Anything I can do to help brighten the mood a bit.

“Food would be nice.” Flow gave Annie a firm squeeze before removing her hand from her shoulder. “The kid hasn't eaten much since she’s moved here from what she’s told me.”

“Got ya’, I’ll be back with somethin’ shortly!”

…

Annie sighed, kicking her feet under the metal table she sat at with a hunched over posture. Her small hands gripped the chair’s hot, metal arms through her hoodie. Her eyes wandered around the rustic scenery, taking mental note of the grime, dust, and construction equipment around her. Now that she had a chance to look around a bit more, she couldn't help to find that this place was rather grimier than the plaza; which in contrast was extremely polished and clean.

It definitely wasn't something she was accustomed to now that she had a chance to be out there for longer than a few minutes. Her nose getting rather stuffed from all the dust around her made it quite evident. Her eyes trailed over to Flow, who was staring over at the food truck in an almost endearing manner, kicking her foot as she waited for her food. “H-hey Flow?” She sniffled, catching the sea slug’s attention.

“Hmm yeah? What's up Ann?”

“A-are there any napkins, or any tissues… or something, nearby?” She awkwardly rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to suppress a sneeze with her hand.

“I think there's some at the table next to us.” Flow turned around and searched the surrounding tables, eventually getting up and walking over to grab a few napkins once she spotted a table with a dispenser. Promptly returning and handing them over to the anemone. “Here y’go!~”

“Th-thanks…” Annie cautiously took the wad from Flow’s dainty hand, immediately taking one of the napkins to her nose in order to blow it.

“So uh…” Flow sat back down, leaning back in her chair as she attempted to make herself comfortable once more. “I didn't know you were friends with Sean.”

“Y-yeah…” Annie wadded up the dirty napkin and clasped it in her hand. “I didn't know that he worked here.” 

“Oh! He’s had his shop set up here for quite a while now!”

“Ah… I was wondering why he quit his old job, h-honestly.”

“He had a job before then? What did he do?”

“He was an employee a-at a shoe store just a few buildings down from my old workplace. I-It's how we met.”

“A shoe store vendor? Like Bisk?”

“Like  _ who? _ ”

“Ah!~ Nevermind.” Flow chuckled, a small grin forming on her face. “You’ll meet him sooner or later anyways. He’s a nice guy though, I promise!” Annie couldn't help but to smile back at the slug, letting out a small giggle of her own as well. She sure did make situations that the introverted anemone felt was terrifying seem like a walk in a park, which was honestly a breath of fresh air to her. If it weren't for her, she still would of been crying at the foot of Ammo Knights, waiting the day away for Sheldon to come back from wherever that manhole led: A massive waste of time if that woman didn't notice her.

There were a ton of things she could of done otherwise. She still had to settle in after the major move! Taking small breaks just to finish up her novel, work on her online shop, or just eat-- and she, by the looks of things, didn't have the time to do all three in one day! 

_ “Hey, Hey, ladies! Your stuff’s all fried up!” _

Annie looked up, a bit shaken as a plate of food was placed in front of her. Her mind completely coming back to reality as the aromas of the greasy helping settled around her. She lightly blushed out of embarrassment as it gradually became apparent that she spaced out for quite a bit. “Did I… space out?”

“You did.” Flow chuckled once more. “I was wonderin’ when you were coming back sweetie! Sean had to bring the food over since you couldn't get up!”

Annie nervously laughed. “Aha… S-Sorry…”

“Yo, it’s okay!” Sean gave her a reassuring smile as he sat down at the table with the two of them. “I needed to take a break anyways. And since y’two got me here, I might as well hang out for a bit-- if it’s okay with you.”

“O-oh! It’s fine!” She sat up, returning his smile with one of her own. “It’d be nice to catch up anyways.” 

Suddenly, like it was almost out of nowhere, Moe fell out of her hair and onto her plate of food. Nearly splattering it everywhere as he landed on the desert-like meal. “M-MOE!!” Her face went completely red as she watched her small friend devour the top pastry on the stack of food. “MOE WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

“I SMELLED FOOD ANNIE.” Moe looked up at her, his face covered in whipped cream. “I SMELLED FOOD OKAY!? AND I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU WEREN'T GONNA SHARE IT I--”

“WHAT MADE YOU THINK I WASN’T GONNA SHARE!?”

Flow and Sean chuckled at the scene, making Annie slightly more embarrassed than she already was. “C-Come on Moe, get off of my food-- y-you’re embarrassing me!”

“ _ So _ ?”

“I-I told you not to embarrass me today!” Annie tisked as she flattened out a clean napkin, cautiously dragging the pastry off from the stack without disrupting Moe's eating; trying her best to ignore the stifled laughter coming from the other two. “S-sorry you had to see that. It's just that Moe and I talked this morning and--”

“It’s okay sweetie, don't worry!” Flow grinned, reaching over to pat Annie's shoulder. “Yeah, it’s fine.” Sean quickly chimed in, resting his head on one of his claws. “I was honestly wondering when he’d show up.”

Annie slumped back, taking a plastic fork and jabbing it into her meal; the initial embarrassment already passing on, leaving  her a bit annoyed with her familiar.

…

His long fingers gingerly traced the keys on his keyboard, typing along at a rather sluggish rate. Writing up guide for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to 'get rich quick’ in a rather short time. The ploy of it all revolving around gambling and how quickly someone can become obsessed with wanting to make their gear perfect. A ploy that was rather dirty, to say the least. But hey, if it worked for Spyke, then it should pretty much work for anyone else willing to make a quick buck… without getting into legal trouble.

Spyke yawned, his shoulders slouching as he reached up and rubbed his eye. In all honesty, he didn't want to write anything today. He'd been working on the same guide for three months straight, and had gotten rather bored on writing it up. In fact, a lot of aspects of his life became rather dull after retiring from his ‘street urchin’ days. Murch was practically the highlight of his days now, teaching him the ways of his work while Murch taught him how to 'scrub’ gear. Spyke never knew why he took the kid under his wing and began to mentor him when both parties knew that Murch already knew way more than Spyke did growing up. It just sort of happened. He just caught sight of the kid struggling with counting up the chunks he gained from practicing his techniques on abandoned gear, and just hit it off from there.

It was rather easy teaching him small aspects of running a stint like his own, given that Murch had looked up to Spyke prior to them meeting. He learned basic arithmetic in almost no time, and would ask Spyke to teach him more mathematics when they both had the time to. And his obedience made it extremely easy to connect with him. And while teaching him, he learned quite a bit about the kid’s life.

Spyke smiled, taking a sip of his drink while thinking about the little things he had learned about Murch; wondering if he should ask him more about his home life the next chance he had to talk to him, or save that topic for another day.

_ “Spyke!” _

A muffled scream from outside abruptly brought him back to reality, the all-too familiar voice made his eye dart over to Murch’s station, standing up at the sight he saw as he lowered the lid of his laptop.

_ “Spyke HELP!” _

Three inklings surrounded him, two of them attempting to grab hold of him while the third one tried to force something out of him; punching him in the stomach if he didn't comply.

_ “Damn it! Not again!” _

Spyke gritted his teeth as he slammed his hands on to the table, promptly leaving the cafe and his belongings behind as he sprinted out the door.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaa sorry for the wait again! I wish I didn't fall into these slumps all of the time I swear.;;;;;


End file.
